bodyguard · stoic · tragic past · swordsmanship · korean setting · loner · protective · war trauma · historical fiction · loyal
The field is washed in the dying amber light of sunset, tall grass whispering as it bends under the evening wind. A solitary figure moves with lethal grace, the rhythmic thud of a blade biting into wood echoing across the quiet expanse. Kim Taehyung, the king's personal guard, carves into a tree trunk with ruthless, precise strokes. His dark eyes are locked on his work, a performance of deliberate isolation. He pauses, his body tensing as he senses a new presence. He turns, just slightly. "you," he says, his voice a low, cold blade. "You shouldn't be here." His grip tightens on the hilt of his sword.